Many conventional personal, hand-held image capture devices include an integrated display screen to allow the user to review captured still and/or moving images. With the development of technology in this field, it is becoming increasingly possible to miniaturise image capture devices to the extent that they can be embedded in, for example, head mountable arrangements. For example, it is now possible to embed a miniature image capture device in a pair of sunglasses or the like.
Such head mounted image capture devices do not generally include any display means for allowing the user to review captured images, and although the inclusion of such display means is technically viable, the resultant arrangement would generally become relatively cumbersome, and expensive. Although the inclusion of the display means within the head mountable arrangement would in certain circumstances be justified, for general use, the requirement for occasional review of captured images does not normally justify the integration of such display means.
Another problem with wearable image capture devices is the issue of storage of captured images. The integration of large amounts of storage means into such an arrangement increases the overall size, weight and cost, which is obviously undesirable.
Thus, the present invention addresses the problem of allowing the review of images captured using a head mounted or similar type of miniature image capture device. Of course, all of the captured images can be viewed and reviewed once the user has access to their personal computer or a video player, for example. This is usually achieved by transferring a removable storage medium to the chosen display device, or by having a hard wired or wireless link and specifically initiating data transfer across the link. Further interaction is then usually required to cause the transferred data to be displayed by the second device. However, this still fails to provide the user with a way of reviewing images while they are out and about and, once they are within easy reach of their personal computer or video player, it is usually too late to go back and recapture an image which is of insufficient quality or captured from the wrong angle, for example. In any event, even if the user has access to a personal computer or video player other than their own while they are out, the requirement for initiation of data transfer across the data transfer link and the usual further interaction required to display captured images makes it an inconvenient and time consuming method for conducting a brief intermediate review of the captured images.
We have now devised an arrangement which seeks to overcome the problems outlined above and provide a user with a means of quickly and conveniently storing and/or reviewing images captured by a miniature, preferably wearable, image capture device on a storage and/or display means which is not head-mounted or integral to the portable image capture device.